UMNO Youth leader, Dr. Muhamad Akmal Saleh, has reignited discourse with his recent assertion that it's preferable to speak out, even if it means facing death, when one's religion is under attack. Advocating for Muslim solidarity, he urged followers to bridge political and ideological gaps for the greater good of their community.
In a Facebook post, Dr. Akmal emphasized the necessity for Muslims to stand together in the face of religious affronts, stressing that unity transcends individual differences and serves as a bulwark against disparagement.
He remarked, "When your religion is insulted like this, we still don’t realise it, it’s better to just die. Muslims are united regardless of political and ideological differences. Because the unity of the community becomes the strength of the community to not be looked down upon. The time has come, to put aside our differences to strengthen the ummah."
Dr. Akmal's remarks were prompted by an incident involving AOEN Big in Batu Pahat, where a mini-prayer mat was erroneously placed among doormats. The subsequent apology and clarification from the superstore did little to assuage the concerns raised.
Addressing this, the Johor State Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) swiftly intervened, confiscating the mat adorned with an image of the Kaaba, Islam's holiest site, from the supermarket. The management has been called upon to provide an explanation for the oversight.
Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid, the chairman of the Johor State Islamic Religious Affairs Committee, affirmed the department's proactive stance, highlighting their prompt response upon receiving a public complaint last week.
Dr. Akmal's call for Muslim unity reverberates against a backdrop of increasing religious sensitivities and perceived affronts to Islam. The incident at AOEN Big underscores the importance of vigilance and swift action in safeguarding religious symbols and sentiments.
Although, during the past few weeks Akmal has been very vocal in religious issues but he rarely came up with the idea of the coexistence of multi-racial communities in Malaysia and that is what is the need of the hour to preach respect for all communities and let not impart insecurities to non Muslim communities.
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